Electrode holder



Nov. 27 1923 1,475,481

w. H. FLOOD ET A1.

ELEGTRODE HOLDER Fi1ed'may 14. 1921 INVENTOHS Patented Nov. 27, 1923.l

L l,1,475,481 UNITED STATES/PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER H. FLOOD, or rooTING, LONDON, AND DONALD TRENTHAM sMoU'r, OF

WEST DULWICH, LONDON, ENGLAND,

AND WELDING COMPANY, OF NEWARK,

yASSIGNORS T0 ELECTRIC lARC CUTTING NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRODE HOLDER.

Application filed May 14,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, l/VALTER HERBERT FLOOD and DONALD TRENTHAM SMOUT, sub jects of the King of Great Britain, residing at 5'6 Lucien Road, Tooting, London, and 175 Clive Road, West Dulwich, London,- England, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrode Holders, of which the'following is a specification.

\This invention relates to electrode holders and especially to that class of holders suitable for use in are welding, cutting and like operations.

In general the `invention comprises a tube within which is seated a plug bearing av pair of spring arms, to the outer end of which are secured jaws for gripping an electrode, means being provided within reach of the thumb on the hand grasping the tube to release the electrode from the holder.

It is an object of this invention to make a holder of this characteras small and compact as possible.

It is a further Object of this invention to provide means for securely retaining the electrode within the holder and to prevent accidental loosening thereof.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a shield operable by the thumb on the hand grasping the holder to release the electrode from the holder.

Other and further objects will appear after reading the following specification' and claims in connection with the accom.- panying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of our electrode holder.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fio.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the shield and its operating shaft;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4of Fi .3.

, Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is an isometric drawing of the Operating shaft removed from the shield, and

Figure 7 is' a side elevation of the of the holder.

Now referring in detail to the various` figures, 1 indicates a non-conductive tube jaws 1921. seran No. 469,560;

preferably made of fibre within which is frictionally retained a metallic plug 2 pre-ferably niade ofbrass. Vithin the plug is a bore- 3 formin0f a cable socket in which the bared end o a cable may be sweatedl leaf springs of each pair may be replaced by a copper strip for greater conductivity.

To the otherwise free ends of the leaf springs are secured a lpair of cooperating jaws 1'0 and 11, these jaws being removablysecured to the springs by means of screws 9 to enable renewal. of the jaws as those in use become burnt or pitted. The jaws are made of some good conductive material but preferably of bronze to resist corrosion, pitting and burning and in order to firmly retainV an electrode in place between the jaws,-

the jaw 10 is serrated so as to form teeth 12. The jaw 11 does not have any teeth but is formed with a longitudinal boss 30 between which and the teeth 12 of the jaw 10, the electrode may be placed. The jaw 10 is also-provided with a longitudinal re-. cess 31 within which the boss 3() of the jawv 11 may seat when there is nov electrode between the. jaws, these jaws being normally urged toward one another by the springs 7, 7 and 8, 8.

To .effect aseparation of the jaws, the fibre tube is slotted as at 13, and resting against the bottom of the slot is a cam member 14, said member being rounded at 15 at the portions where it bearsin' the slots andbeing squared as at 32 between the confines of the leaf springs. It will now be apparent that upon rotation of the cam member, that the leaf springs will be separated `to separate the jaws. In order to rotate the cam member the 4same is provided with shouldered portions 16 land 17 retained in a shield 118 preferably made of fibre.

The shield has an aperture 19 somewhat elcam member securely within the shield. The shield is recessed slightly as at 22 to position the thumb on the shield when it is desired to tilt the same in order to separate the jaws. When the shield is released, the springs serve to restore the same to normal position as well as tensioning the jaws toward each other. A pin 23 passes loosely through the leaf springs and is secured in place in the tubular handle by cotter pins 24 passing through holes 25 in the pin and said pin holds,the cam member 14 from moving out of the slots 13. The cam member is rounded at v26 t0 prevent any sharp edges on the cam member from wearing or bending` the pin when the'cam member is rotated. The slotted end of the tube has an ,internal taper 24 to permit spreading of the leaf springs. While the shield is shown rather small, it may be made of any desired size sufficient to protect the hand of the operator from the heat of the welding or cutting are or from molten material. If desired the shield may be provided with plates 27 of Celluloid or the like bearing the indication Push thereon, and the handle may be provided with a name plate 28 of similar material embedded within a recess 29 in the handle. r

From the above construction, we have provided a small, neat and compact holder, with means within reach of and manipulated by the thumb of the operator for effecting a quick release of the electrode held by the jaws of the holder, or for permitting the insertion of a new electrode between the jaws.

Having thus described our invention what 'we claim is: v

l. An electrode holder comprising a nonconductive tube, a plug within said tube, a

set of leaf springs secured to said plug andy extending beyond the tube, a pair of metallic jaws secured to the otherwise free ends of said springs, said springs normally urging said jaws together, means on said jaws for gripping an electrode, and means carried by the tube for effecting the separation of the jaws. y

2. An'electrode holder comprising a nonronductive tube, a plugv within said tube, leaf springs secured to said plug and extending beyond the tube, a pair of metallic jaws secured to the otherwise free ends of said springs, said springs normally urging said jaws together, means on said jaws for gripping an electrode. and means for effecting the separation of the jaws comprising a cam member, said cam member having flat surfaces adapted uponrotation thereof to engage and separate the leaf springs to thereby separate lthe jaws,l and ymeans to rotate said cam member.

3. An electrode holder comprising va nonconductive tube, a plug within said tube,

leaf springs secured to said plug and extending beyond the tube, a pair o-f metallic jaws secured to the otherwise free 'ends ofsaid springs, said springs normally urging said jaws together, means on said jaws for gripping an electrode. and means for effecting the separation of the jaws comprising a cam member, said cam member having flat surfaces adapted upon rotation thereof to engage and separate the leaf springs to thereby separate the jaws and a shield secured to the cam member to permit rotation thereof upon manipulation by the thumb of the hand grasping the tube.

4. An electrode holder comprising a nonconductive tube, a plug within said tube, leaf springs secured -to said plug and extending beyond the tube, a pair of metallic jaws secured to the otherwise free ends of said springs, said springs normally urging said jaws together, means on said jaws for gripping an electrode, and means for effecting the separation of the jaws comprising a cam member rotatable in a slotted portion of the tube, said cam member having flat surfaces adapted upon rotation thereof to engage and separate the leaf springs to thereby separate the jaws and a shield secured to the cam member to permit rotation thereof upon manipulation by the thumb of the hand grasping the tube.

5. An electrode holder comprising -a nonconductive tube, a plug within said tube, leaf springs secured to said plug and extend- 'ing beyond the tube, a pair of metallic jaws secured to the otherwise free ends of said springs, said springs normally urging said jaws together, means on said jaws for gripping an electrodeA and means for effecting the separation of the aws comprising a cam member rotatable in a slotted portion of the tube, said cam member having fiat surfaces adapted upon rotation thereof to engage -and separate the leaf springs to thereby separate the jaws, a pin secured in the tube restraining the cam member against longitudinal movement in the slot, and a shield secured to the cam member to permit rotation thereof upon manipulation by the thumb of the hand grasping the tube.

6. 4An electrode holder comprising a nonconductive tube, a plug frictionally retained within said tube, a tongue on said plug, a pair ofyleaf springs secured to said tongue and extending beyond the 1 f.11be,'a pair of detachable metallic jaws secured to the otherwise free ends of said springs, said springs normally urging said jaws together, means on said jaws for gripping an electrode, and means for effecting the separation of the jaws comprising a cam member rotatable in a slotted portion of the tube, said cam mem-ber having fiat surfaces adapted upon rotation thereof to engage and separate the leaf springs to thereby separate `shield therebetween adapte the jaws, a pin secured in the tube restraining the cam member a ainst longitudinal movement in the slot, an a shield secured to the cam meniberto permit rotation'thereof upon manipulation by the thumb of the hand grasping the tube.

7 An electrode holder comprisin l a part adapted to be rasped by the hand o the operator, electro e gripping jaws, and a shield therebetween adapted to shield the hand of the operator and means operated by movement of the shield to separate the jaws.

8. An electrode holder comprising a part adapted to be grasped by the hand of the operator, electrode grippin jaws, and a to shield the hand ,of the operator and means operated by a tilting movement of the shield to separate the jaws. i

9. An electrode holder comprising a part adapted to be rasped by the hand of the operator, norma y closed electrode gripping.

jaws, and a shield therebetween adapted to shield the hand vof the operator, means operated by' movement of'fthe shield to separate the jaws, and means to restore the gr1pping jaws to normal position and to renormally ur ing the jaws together andl means carrie the jaws.

l 11. An electrode holder comprising a nonconduotive member having a recess opening at o ne end thereof, leaf sprin s in said recess, secured within Isaid mem er in spaced relationship and extending beyond the end thereof, jaws carried by the free ends of the springs, said springs being adapted to normally urge the jaws together and means carried directly by the member for separatthe jaws.

by the member'for separating n testimony whereof we have hereunto setiz our signatures this 19th day of April, 19 1.

w. H. FLoon. DoNALD T..sMoU'r. 

